


Our Past, It Haunt Us pt. 2

by Emeli_Thorne



Series: Kastle Christmas 2K17 AU - Kastle as neighbours [4]
Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Addie interrupts them again bcs she can, F/M, Fluff, Frank reveals his secret(s), Karen and Frank enjoy some sexy times, Mentions of Violence, SMUT!!!!!, Vaginal Fingering, doubt and self-loathing expressed, mentions of Frank's family and their death, mentions of depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-03-19 02:46:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13695279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emeli_Thorne/pseuds/Emeli_Thorne
Summary: A few days ago, Karen confessed her painful past and her secret to Frank.Frank tacitly accepted shouldering that burden with her.No judgement, no resentment.Just acknowledgment, understanding, and acceptance.Happiness started blooming in her chest the moment she sensed something between her and Frank shift. It was only a few weeks ago, but felt like a lifetime of joy and laughter with him.Now, it's time Frank confessed his secret.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> An extended scene of Karen and Frank’s first morning after where they engage in more sexy times (since I cut that short both in the original fic and in part one of this fic duo) and in chapter 2 of this part, Frank shares his secret with Karen. 
> 
> Also, I'm so nervous about the smut I wrote for this chapter since smut is not my forte at all, but I felt I owed you guys that since I cut those scenes short in previous parts, so... be kind, please :D

**Christmas Morning: Love and Confessions**

 

Karen woke up with an unusual feeling in her chest and it took her a second to understand what it was.

Complete and utter happiness. Physical and emotional.

It had been long, too long since she had been with a man, and not for the lack of trying. 

Ever since Addie was born, Karen’s sole focus was taking care and protecting her little bundle of joy, that sometimes she would forget about herself completely.

But of course, there were times, numerous times when all she wanted, all she needed was to have sex, plainly and simply. She had her needs like any being and it was only natural for her to try and satisfy them.

One-night stands were never her thing, but there were some short and casual relationships she had engaged in, purely for sexual purposes and none of those men had ever met Addie nor had she mentioned them to her because there was nothing to mention. They weren’t her boyfriends, they weren’t as interesting as she would want a boyfriend to be. They were... fuck buddies and Karen was completely okay with that. 

There was only one man who came close to being _the one_ , the one she would have dared call her boyfriend but that thing between her and Matt ended before it ever began when his ex suddenly came back to New York and Matt couldn’t hide his love for her; Karen never sought him afterwards.

But this, whatever it was between Frank and she was first and foremost an emotional bond that Karen had never experienced before. She felt like Frank understood her, every part of her and she didn’t need to hide anything from him. 

She kept telling him how good of a man he was, but the look on his face always revealed his disbelief at her words. Karen knew few, very few people who would do for her what Frank did - outright telling her he was willing to protect her and Addie should anyone come after them. And when she told him about her past, about the blood on her hands and no guilt on her consciousness, he didn’t even flinch.

Since she fled her hometown, Karen dreaded anyone ever finding out her secret. 

Addie was her primary concern – Karen couldn’t stand the thought of her daughter ever finding out what she did. It was a wonder that the confession left her lips a few nights ago, and an even greater surprise was the relief she felt as soon as she had confessed it all to Frank.

When their gazes had locked and Frank’s warm brown eyes were looking at her with admiration and love instead of hate and disdain, that’s when Karen was certain that Frank would never revel her secret to anyone. What’s more, that secret seemed to deepen their connection and any feelings they had for each other.

Frank tacitly accepted shouldering that burden with her. 

No judgement, no resentment. 

Just acknowledgment, understanding, and acceptance.

Happiness started blooming in her chest the moment she sensed something between her and Frank shift. It was only a few weeks ago, but felt like a lifetime of joy and laughter with him.

Currently, every inch of their naked bodies was under the covers since it was a bit chilly. Her eyes were still closed, unwilling to wake up from that perfect moment with a perfect man in her bed. Frank's chest was like a furnace against her back, offering greater warmth than the covers and two layers of blankets.

Frank was spooning her, their legs entwined, his arm lying heavy across her waist as his finger drew random shapes on her skin. She felt him stir behind her, murmuring something in her hair she couldn’t understand.

Frank’s beard tickled her ear as he whispered again, pulling her tightly against his firm chest, “Merry Christmas.”

Eyes still closed, lips spreading in a grin, Karen laced her fingers with his on her belly and felt him squeeze them as his lips trailed kisses over her shoulder and up her neck, his breath hot on her skin, raising goosebumps along the way.

If Karen were any other kind of person, if she were still the innocent and naive girl from Fagan Corners who knew next to nothing about life, she might have felt shy in this moment.

But Karen, this Karen, was anything but innocent and gladly welcomed Frank's wandering hands and greedy kisses with hope these kind of mornings would become a recurrence.

“Merry Christmas, Frank," Karen rasped, "I hope it will be a wonderful one.”

“Already is, with you in this bed,” his voice sounded gruff, just the way she liked it. 

His lazy kisses almost lulled her back to sleep, that is until he slowly started moving their entwined hands down her stomach and over her mound all the while lazily kissing her neck, nipping his marks into her neck, then trailing his tongue across the bites.

Karen shivered, goosebumps spreading all over her skin yet again as she started to stir impatiently, already yearning to feel his fingers inside her, already getting wet just by thinking of Frank’s intentions. When their hands reached her clit, Frank unlaced them, pressing his rough finger against it, eliciting a loud moan from Karen which she silenced by pressing her head into the pillow. Her hips bucked, a wonderful sensation spreading all over her body with such speed, as if they hadn’t slept at all, as if she was still getting off that last night’s high. 

“Frank,” she barely exhaled when he pushed two fingers into her and started pumping as she rolled her hips in time with his thrusts. She winded her arm behind his head pulling it closer as she tilted her head to meet his lips in a sloppy yet fervent kiss, nibbling at his lower lip.

He was already hard, pressed firmly against her behind, but his strokes inside her were painstakingly slow that she wished he wasn’t so careful.

“Frank,” she barely managed to gasp, her voice seeming lost. There was nothing else she was able to say, his name the only coherent thought in her mind.

“Gonna go slow, baby. Wanna make you feel good,” he murmured against her lips as his other arm sneaked under her body, his hand cupping her breast.

Karen started moaning, feeling too much and not enough at the same time as Frank took his time winding her up, building her release, though never breaking their kiss.

He palmed her breast, lightly pinching her nipple as he almost brought her to the edge by matching his tongue strokes with the way his fingers curved inside her, grazing that spot inside her, making her feel like she would come right then. 

Impatient, Karen threw her leg over his, giving him a better angle as she grasped her other breast and started massaging it as her core ached and pulsated with every stroke of his fingers, with every brush of his callused thumb against her clit.

"That's it, baby. You're so beautiful." 

Shifting behind her, Frank slipped his cock between her cheeks and she moaned as his hardness brushed against her cunt from behind, his finger pumping faster and faster, his thumb rubbing her clit.

"Frank, I-I" she couldn't even form a sentence, her whole body vibrating, feeling full and ready to explode.

Kissing her temple, Frank encouraged her, "Let go, I got you. Let go."

With a few more pumps and a few more brushes of his cock against her from behind, Karen was a goner, narrowly managing to bury her head in her pillow as cries of pure pleasure and ecstasy tore from her throat. Frank held her against his chest, and through her daze Karen heard him chuckle.

When she finally recovered enough to breathe properly, she turned to face him although she felt bone-tired, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

"Why are you laughing?" Karen asked him, trying to sound stern but his eyes were bright and gleaming, his hair poking in all direction giving him such a cute appearance that there was no way she could be mad at him for laughing, for whatever reason.

"I was just thinking..."

As if sensing what he was thinking about, Karen caressed his cheek, asking, "How long has it been?”

He looked confused for a moment, “What?”

Karen repeated her question, this time elaborating it. “How long has it been since you've had sex?”

Averting his gaze, Frank buried his head in her hair and shyly mumbled, “Since Maria.”

Karen kissed his temple, pulling him closer, her finger combing through his hair as he wrapped his arms around her again.

She felt his pain, but also the way he struggled to move on, and if all these weeks were any indication, Frank was serious in his intentions. His little confession reminded her again why she fell for him so fast: he was honest lot a default and not ashamed of his feelings.

Trying to lighten up the mood and not wanting to make him feel miserable and sad on Christmas, Karen joked, “Well, you’re game’s on point, mister. Should be proud of yourself.”

He huffed against her neck, finally daring to look at her, a hint of doubt in his voice.

“I made you feel good?”

_Oh, this sweet, silly man._

Shifting to straddle him, Karen pressed her hands against his chest as Frank grinned at her. “Of course you did, Frank.

Haven’t you heard my screams?” she asked in what she hoped was a seductive tone, leaning forward, her wet core brushing against him.

His hands immediately landed on her hips, and Karen smiled at his gentleness as he smoothed his palms over her bare ass.

“I think the pillows and my shoulder stifled them,” he managed to tease her just before she giggled against his lips, capturing them in hers, recreating their last night’s hot session.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, a whole month later... I'm really sorry, guys. I started this at the same time as the first chapter but it kept making me cry and causing me anxiety because it's so heavy, topic-wise, that I just couldn't write it any sooner.
> 
> Since this is kinda sad, I'm gonna write chapter three for this part which will feature our sweet Addie and this newfound family joy :D

 

Karen was splayed on top of Frank as they were both catching their breaths. Frank’s fingers were gently massaging Karen’s scalp as she still held his other hand entwined with hers, grinning widely although her eyes were closed. It was a moment of serenity when she let herself indulge in this newfound feeling of being with Frank completely, savouring this closeness. 

She could picture waking up with him in the mornings, sharing sweet kisses and rushed breakfasts before they’d both go to work. She could picture her little sunshine, her beautiful Addie and Frank playing and having more of their heart-to-heart talks that seemed to have a therapeutic effect on both of them. Addie had already requested Frank take her to school after their short break, and Frank readily accepted. 

Was it so bad she already considered Frank her, _their_ , family? They’ve only known each other for a short while yet he had done for her more than some people she had known her entire life. And Addie simply adored him, it was written all over her face and in her actions. She was never the one to hide her emotions and Frank appeared to have captured her little girl’s heart just like her own.

He was wonderful and complex; there were so many layers of him she had yet to uncover, but Karen was in no rush. She imagined herself being just as complex as he was, with her own secrets, problems, and issues. Come what may, they would deal with it together, she decided.

Frank was oddly quite, too quiet for a man who not ten minutes ago was barely able to hold in his curses and grunts, especially after the self-satisfied smirk he gave her after he had made her come with his fingers alone.

Propping her chin on his chest, Karen regarded his pensive face for a moment, attempting to figure out what was going through his mind.

“Hey,” she said, capturing his face between her hands, his stubble grazing her palms, “where did you go?”

Frank took his time just looking at her, his dark eyes bearing a mysterious glow, that a sense of trepidation started growing in Karen. Her thoughts wandered off to the most terrible scenario she could come up with at this point, but she fought them off.      

“I-I’ve been meaning to tell you something,” he started eventually, his voice shaking slightly. “Ever since you told me about-”

The terrible thoughts returned at once. Swallowing hard and fearing the worst, Karen managed to squeak out, “You’re not-”

Frank interrupted her the second he realised what she was getting at, for which she was greatly thankful for because she feared she’d start crying right then, feeling humiliated and embarrassed.

 "Karen, no! Nothing will ever make me leave you. Least of all that.”

Letting out a breath of relief and feeling reassured by Frank that her past would not come between them, Karen shifted so that she was now lying on her side of the bed and Frank turned so he could be face to face with her. Pulling the sheets up to her neck, Karen dared to ask Frank to please tell her why he was so distant all of a sudden. 

Frank had these moments, Karen noticed, when his mind would drift off to some other place for awhile and get lost in it. She didn’t mind it, figuring he had enough going on in his head to process it all at once. Somehow though, she knew this time it was different. A certain kind of coldness and desolation crept into his gaze, scaring Karen. Whatever he was about to tell her must really be hurting him.

He dropped his gaze briefly, as if braving himself for what was to come. Karen couldn’t imagine what he might have wanted to tell her, but she sensed it was a sore subject for him, especially since it was taking Frank time to compose himself. And when he did begin to speak, his brown eyes were full of tears, his voice trembling.

“Maria and my kids... I never told you how I lost ‘em,” he sniffed, reaching for her hand under the covers, like he was seeking her strength and presence to ground him. Karen gladly offered him the comfort he sought, partly also seeking strength as well for what she was about to hear.

“I was comin’ back from my last tour. Maria wanted to pick me up and Lisa and Frank jr wanted to go with her. Begged her to come too.” A small pause, and then, dejected, “They were at an intersection when a drunk driver sped through the red light and hit them.”

Karen startled herself when she gasped, her fingers flexing around Frank’s instantaneously. “Oh, my god!” Tears filled her eyes; she struggled in vain to not shed them as not to disrupt Frank.

“The car flipped five times before it landed on the roof. Kids, they, uh... they died on the spot.” Frank appeared to be choking on words, his voice growing gruffer. “Maria, she, uh, she tried to unbuckle her seat belt, wanted to pull ‘em out... She died of internal bleeding on the way to the hospital.”

Karen’s heart clenched and she was barely able to say anything save for a weak and, in her opinion, ineffective and meaningless, “Frank, I’m so sorry.”

What else could she say? What else was there to say? His family died a horrific death the same day he was supposed to be reunited with them. The long awaited Castle family reunion would never happen. Nothing Karen or anyone else said could ever change that or ease his pain and anguish.

Frank continued the story, Karen presumed, before he lost the courage since this was definitely a nightmare to relive over and over again, but having to confess it out loud to someone... His cheeks were wet, eyes trained on some spot on Karen’s shoulders.

“I waited two hours on the airport for ‘em. See, I knew somethin’ was wrong. Maria was never late on anything in her life. There was this, this feeling in my chest, like, like when you’ve been under water for too long and are just struggling for breath.”

Yeah, Karen was familiar with that feeling. Felt it too often in her life. Squeezing Frank’s hand again to indicate she was still listening to him, Karen hoped her action would convey her thoughts, _I’m with you, I’m here._ His fingers flexed around hers more vigorously than before and Karen’s heart broke for him and his family yet again.

“I waited and waited. Curt called me to tell me... they found his number in Maria’s phone.” The last part was barely uttered, getting lost in a choked sob that escaped Frank’s lips along with a few tears that glistened on his face.

Not knowing what else to do, Karen pulled Frank into her embrace, his head resting on her chest as his hands snaked around her waist. He was now openly crying as Karen combed her fingers through his hair in a calming manner, the way she did to Addie when her little girl was upset.

Wrapped up in frank’s pained voice, Karen didn’t even realise she too had started crying, her lips quivering, but she dared not to speak for fear of making this even worse for Frank.

“It was a moment,” the words escaped his lips just as Karen wrapped her leg around Frank, cocooning him into her, fruitlessly trying to shield him from his memories, his pain. “One moment they were there, the next gone. My whole family, Karen.”

 _God, how could you do this to him?_ Karen thought as Frank’s hold of her tightened. What sort of wicked world did they live in?

“I didn’t even get the chance to see ‘em. I've been on tour for 18 months. I hadn’t seen them in 18 months.” 

If there was any part of her heart still unaffected by his tragedy, Frank’s last words tore through it, effectively shattering it, lacing any and all the pieces with sorrow and wrath aimed at this goddamn world, reckless fucking morons who ruined other people’s lives with their irresponsibility, who tore families apart leaving wreckage in their wake.

Frank started to speak after a short pause, seemingly trying to keep his voice in control, although it was unsuccessful because Karen felt him gasping for air, “I-I went back to our home but...”

“It wasn’t a home anymore,” Karen remembered what he had told her that first day when they were painting Addie’s room - _I couldn’t stay there. What am I gonna do there by myself? It’s not a family house when there’s no family, right?_

Frank confirmed by saying, “No, it wasn’t. And tryin’ to stay there without them ... Y’know, there was a, a pan with cheese cake in the fridge. Lisa and Maria made it for me. Junior, he, uh, h- he had some notes on his piano, I guess he wanted to play for me. I was bringing Lisa a toy dinosaur, another one, my girl loved them.”

Silence ensued then, a long one during which Frank cried in Karen’s arms while she did her best to comfort him in any way she could. Her fingers were carding through his messy hair while her other hand caressed his upper arm, her lips reciting a litany of _I’m sorry, Frank_ , and _I’m here_ , and _You’re not alone_ since she couldn’t think of anything else she should say to a grieving father and husband who lost it all in one day and would never recover from that loss.

It was awhile before Karen dared to voice the question that had plagued her since this conversation started, since that was probably the reason he decided to tell her about his family.

“What did you do, Frank?”

Moving away from her embrace and sitting up in the bed, Karen following suit, Frank finally spoke with such anger Karen had never witnessed before, “I saw red. My whole family was gone. Just like that. And that shit survived!” His voice increased so it was almost like he was yelling at her even though he wasn’t. It seemed as if even in this furious daze Frank was mindful of Addie sleeping in the next room. “He survived! Mild concussion, broken arm and clavicle. A few scratches.”

Her own experience and basic awareness of human nature warned her of the only possible outcome of Frank’s confession, and when his name came out of her mouth, it was a feeble attempt at consoling him and preparing herself for the worst.

“What do ya think I did?  I went after ‘im. Hunted that piece of shit down. I kept hitting him and hitting him. Beat him within an inch of his life,” Frank spoke wryly without an ounce of remorse. Glancing down, Karen noticed his hand clenching in his lap, like he was reliving that beating, like the man responsible for his family’s death was still in front of him and he was still channelling his anger through his fists.

“What stopped you?”

With a sigh, Frank shook his head. “Curt followed me, knew I was gonna do somethin’ reckless and stupid. He pulled me off that scumbag.”

“Did he go to jail?”

“Yeah, but it was a long process,” Frank grimaced. “He was a daddy’s boy, sharks for lawyers that got him out on bail, but ultimately he got 10 years.”

Karen just nodded, still processing what Frank had just told her. After some deliberation, she realised the similarity of their situations and lives – how both of them wanted to get revenge – only by some miracle Karen didn’t lose her loved one, while Frank did. Wiping the tears off her cheeks and sniffing, Karen wrapped her arms around herself and stayed quiet, leaving it up to Frank to decide if he felt the need to tell her anything more.

“I would’ve killed ‘im, Karen.” Frank fixed his gaze on her, hot rage flaring behind it. The sheer determination with which he said it left no doubt in Karen’s mind of the depth of Frank’s hurting and his willingness to rid this world of the person who took his family from him. He continued by saying, “If Curt hadn’t been there, I would’ve killed him. Wouldn’t regret anything.”

“I wouldn’t blame you, Frank,” she responded after realising Frank was waiting for some kind of an answer from her. And she really wouldn’t, as twisted as that may have sounded. Frank however went wide-eyed, his lips slightly parted in wonder, as if what Karen said took him by surprise, as if he wasn’t expecting that at all.

Slowly seizing Karen’s hands in his, he lifted them to his lips and kissed each knuckle which such tenderness that Karen started crying once again, this time overwhelmed by her feelings for the man in front of her.

After kissing the last knuckle, Frank rested his forehead on her hands and Karen felt him slightly shaking. He was taking his time obviously trying to collect himself, his grip on her hands preventing her from cradling his face and kissing it senseless, which is what she wanted so desperately to do in that moment.

When he spoke again, he was looking at her with some kind of... amazement was the only word that came to her mind, setting fire in her chest. “I’m telling you this ‘cause, ‘cause I don’t want secrets between us.”

Oh, the trust he had in her to confess this dark side of him, the one thirsty for  the blood of the monster that tore his family away from him, to show her this ruthless part of him that was lurking underneath.

She was ready to take it all in, welcome it with open arms; she would allow him to seek refuge and understanding in her embrace and happily give it all to him. She would grant him peace and absolution from his sins even though she was no one to give that to him.

But he was hers, she now knew. His life, his secrets, every part of Frank was hers. Her own secrets, her life, her all was his.

They might not know everything about each other, but what Karen was certain of was their feelings which, though unarticulated fully yet, were there, lingering, ubiquitous and ever-growing.

Freeing her hands from his, she cradled his face and he kissed her palm before looking up at her, gaze soft and warm. Karen spoke from heart, her feelings for him getting clearer with every word that came out of her mouth.

“The only thing that matters is that you didn’t go through with it. He wasn’t worth your life too. You are a good man, Frank. A good man who has been through such a horrific loss and I can’t even begin to imagine what you must be feeling. But I’m here for you, now and always. Know that.”

His fingers wrapped around her next as he pulled her closer, his lips a hair’s breadth from hers, his voice gruff and full of emotion. “I care about you, Karen. I need you to know that this isn’t some fling for me.”

Brushing her nose with his, Karen smiled, feeling elated by his honesty. “I know, Frank. I know. I care about you too. Thank you for sharing this with me. I know it wasn’t easy.”

Finally they kissed, languidly getting lost in the sensation of the other’s lips, their hands starting another expedition up and down each other’s bodies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you'll stick around because I definitely have a few more stories planned for this AU. The next one will include the reveal of Addie's real name ;)
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments to let me know your thoughts, I love reading them :D 
> 
> you can find me on tumblr at lightblindingme


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaay, the final chapter of this part. It's much more cheerful and fluffy than the previous one. This chapter features my beautiful oc Addie. I've never been more proud of an oc of mine than I am of this little angel. I know it sounds crazy, but I really love her and over the course of writing these fics, she became almost like a real person to me.
> 
> I hope you'll like it :D

Karen and Frank’s fervent kisses were yet again interrupted by her daughter just like a few days ago. This time, Addie was pounding on her mother’s bedroom door, obviously wide awake and excited to open her Christmas presents. 

“Mooooooooom! why is your door locked?” Addie asked, trying the door handle but the door wouldn’t budge. She sounded confused by this new development and with good reason, since Karen had never locked her bedroom door before, especially because Addie was in the habit of sneaking into Karen’s room and under her covers whenever she had a bad dream.

Sharing an amused look, Karen caressed Frank’s cheek, yelling back to Addie, “Ummm, I’ll be right out, pumpkin. Go brush your teeth!”

They heard a muffled _okay_ and tiny feet thumping against the hardwood floor with occasional creak before the sound of opening and closing of the bathroom door reached them. Pulling Karen into his arms, Frank kissed the side of her neck, murmuring with a hint of discontent in his voice, “Looks like our morning ramble's over for now,” followed by a low chuckle.

Nuzzling his cheek, Karen added hesitantly, as if she sought Frank’s definite confirmation, “There’s going to be plenty of mornings, right?”

“Right,” Frank assured her with a grin, his hand gently smoothing out her tresses, his eyes aglow with clear glee.

He kissed her cheek softly then got up and started putting on yesterday’s clothes as Karen was stretching on the bed, her eyes appreciatively travelling up and down Frank’s taut muscles and the tanned plains of his body. Once he noticed her looking at him with renewed hunger, a smirk graced his face, his own gaze glued to her alabaster breasts and rosy nipples as he recollected his tongue being wrapped around them not so long ago.

Realising he had to push aside his desire for her until later that day, Frank shook his head to come to his senses as he zipped up his hoodie.

“I’ll go shower and change. Be back in thirty.”

Sharing another quick kiss, Frank left her bedroom and the apartment and Karen used a couple of minutes to compose herself, unable to stop smiling so much so that her face started hurting.

Her heart ached for Frank, but she really felt like they made so much progress over the course of a few days, revealing parts of themselves to each other they had been guarding for so long. He made her unbelievably happy and if life offered her another chance at happiness, Karen wasn’t going to give it up.

“Mom?”

Her daughter’s timid voice brought her back from her daydreaming. When she turned around, Karen noticed Addie had already put on her favourite attire: a baby blue cable-knit sweater with deer Foggy had bought her a few months ago and blood-red leggings with green tassels. Her face was alit with giddiness and excitement seemed to radiate off her.

“Yeah, pumpkin?” Karen shifted so that she was sitting at the bottom of her bed, adjusting a sheet to cover her chest as Addie approached her, wringing her fingers. A curious expression was etched on her face, and Karen wondered what might have brought such a behaviour.

“Why did Frank sleep in your room?” Addie eventually asked, taking a seat next to her mother, her legs swinging back and forth.

Karen’s eyes wandered to the side as she pondered how to explain to her daughter what was going on between Frank and her. Never before had she been in a situation where she had to explain her relationships with men to Addie, that she was completely unsure how to proceed.

It had barely been a month of their knowing Frank and though Frank and she had discussed and revealed so much to each other, Addie wasn’t privy to their conversations and all that had transpired between them.

“Oh, ummm,” Karen started with a quiver in her voice, the awkwardness of the situation making her thoughts all jumbled, “See, baby, when people are together-”

However, before she could even finish the sentence Addie interrupted her, seemingly suppressing a smile. “Is he, like, your _boyfriend_ now?” she asked, accentuate the boyfriend part with a glimmer in her eyes.

It took Karen by surprise, but she took the joy she was seeing on Addie’s face as a good sign.

“I, uh, I guess so,” Karen answered and smiled, finding herself really loving the idea of having a boyfriend, of having Frank as her boyfriend, as silly as it sounded.  “You okay with that? I know you like Frank and you two get along,” she asked her daughter, running her fingers through Addie’s tangled hair. She was cautious of her daughter’s answer because one word from Addie and as much as it would pain her, Karen would end things with Frank.

Her instinct, however, was telling her no such thing would happen and it was confirmed with Addie’s firm reply,“Yeah, I’m cool. He’s really nice, mommy. I think we're helping him to not be sad anymore.”

What Addie said made Karen remember one of their earlier conversations about Frank, when Addie noted how sad he looked. To think they were actually helping him recover from his years-long grief made Karen feel a renewed sense of that early morning happiness, and coupled with her and Frank’s conversation and his admitting his feelings for her, things seemed to have started off better than she could have anticipated.

“You think?”

Addie nodded, “Yeah. He smiles more now.  Are we gonna keep him?”

Karen laughed at the way Addie phrased her question, but she understood what she had meant.

“We’re gonna try.”

*     *     *    *      *

After taking a long shower, getting dressed and tidying up her bedroom, Karen found herself in Addie’s room, braiding her daughter’s hair. They talked about their plans for that day, and after Addie inquired about Frank, Karen assured her he would celebrate the holiday with them, which seemed to make Addie just as happy as it made Karen.

“I’m glad he’s spending the day with us. Who wants to be alone on Christmas, right?” Addie stated just as Karen way tying her braid. She smiled and kissed her daughter's cheek, pulling her into her arms.

“I love you so much, pumpkin. You have a beautiful heart.” Tears were in Karen’s eyes as she was looking at her daughter. Addie wrapped her arms around Karen’s neck and kissed her back.

“I get that from you, mommy. And I love you too.”

“Yeah? How much?” Karen asked with a serious expression though her voice betrayed that she was just teasing her.

Addie pretended she needed time to think, but eventually she giggled and exclaimed, “To the moon and back!”

 

Frank came back forty-five minutes later and Addie jumped into his arms, wishing him a _Merry Christmas, Frank_ and telling him how happy she was he was her mom’s boyfriend because she liked him a lot.

Karen noticed Frank’s ears reddening slightly before he glanced in her direction and blew her a kiss at which Addie chuckled in his arms. Karen kissed his cheek, her hand resting on her daughter’s back, as a light fragrance of Frank’s cologne enveloped her.

Before they set out to open their presents, Addie invited Frank to help her and her mom make their traditional Christmas cupcakes, which he happily obliged. It took them two hours and after they had finished, all three of them were covered in frosting in spite of the aprons they were wearing, just as Addie had warned him before.

When he noticed frosting on the corner of her lips, Frank leaned over and kissed Karen, his tongue licking it off. When he pulled back, a mischievous smile was playing on his lips as Karen regarded him with an arched brow.

“What was that?”

“There was frosting on your lips. I just cleaned it off.”

She shook her head in amusement and bumped his shoulder before stealing a kiss, then turned to wash the bowls and kitchen utensils they used, and Addie and Frank cleaned the rest of the mess in the kitchen.

Having finished baking, they had breakfast and moved to the living room with a platter of cupcakes, two mugs of coffee for them and hot cocoa for Addie. Karen put the platter on the coffee table and sat next to Frank, snuggling into his side as he kissed her temple and whispered, almost as if he was uncertain if he should say it out loud,

“I think I’m in love with you, Karen Page.” 

The look of pure joy Karen gave him, the wide grin on her beautiful face and the way her eyes shone in that moment let him know she felt the same way. Nevertheless, hearing her admit it made his heart swell in his chest and for the first time in three years, Frank felt like he was indeed truly beginning to heal.

 “I think I’m in love with you too, Mr. Castle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to drop kudos and/or comment, I love getting feedback :D   
> You can find me on tumblr under lightblindingme

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave kudos and comments, I love getting feedback :D  
> Come say hi on tumblr at lightblindingme


End file.
